Gemini tops the App Store thanks to new AI image model, Nano Banana

Though the month is only half over, Gemini’s app has already gained 12.6 million downloads in September, up from 8.7 million in August.

Waymo’s Tekedra Mawakana on Scaling Self-Driving Beyond the Hype

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana takes the Disrupt Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 (Oct 27–29, SF) to share the realities of scaling autonomous vehicles — from safety to regulation to the road ahead.

OpenAI will apply new restrictions to ChatGPT users under 18

Under the new policy, ChatGPT will be trained to no longer engage in “flirtatious talk” with underage users, and additional guardrails will be placed around discussions of suicide.

D-ID acquires Berlin-based video startup Simpleshow

Both companies are seeing a strong future of digital avatars for different kinds of videos, including training, marketing, and sales.

YouTube to use AI to help podcasters promote themselves with clips and Shorts

YouTube teases new AI-powered tools for turning podcasts into video clips, even if they’re audio-only.

YouTube announces new generative AI tools for Shorts creators

YouTube is bringing a custom version of Google’s text-to-video generative AI model, Veo 3, to Shorts, along with a new remixing tool, an “Edit with AI” feature, and more.

YouTube rolls out Studio updates, ‘likeness’ detection, lip-synced dubs, creator collabs, and more

YouTube launches a handful of updates for creators, including lip-syncing features for dubbed videos, likeness detection, collabs, an AI chatbot, and more.

By popular demand: 10 extra exhibit tables open at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Back by overwhelming demand, we’ve added 10 more exhibit tables to TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — and this will be the final release before they sell out.

Harvard Law to AI: MarqVision lands $48M to combat brand abuse

This LA-based startup raised $48M to tackle brand abuse

Box CEO Aaron Levie on AI’s ‘era of context’

Box released a new set of AI tools at its BoxWorks conference on Thursday, filling out CEO Aaron Levie’s vision for an AI-led transformation of the enterprise.